Hi there!  I am Jared, the urban farmer behind the Vegetable Academy.  I run Chain Reaction Urban Farm with the moral support and occasional helping hand of my wife Rachel.  We are passionate about healthy and sustainable living, so it’s no surprise that we find ourselves growing most of our own food today.

The Vegetable Academy was born from the realization that no matter how much we refine our craft, there will always be practical limits to the amount we can grow.  Sure, we could acquire more land, buy some big machinery, build some heated greenhouses and really increase our production, but biggering isn't always bettering.  The best way to scale up the sustainable food production is for more people to get involved, so I hope that the Vegetable Academy community will inspire many others to get their hands dirty and give them the tools they need to experience the rewards of self sufficiency.

Biggering isn't always bettering.

The best way to scale up sustainable food production

is for more people to get involved.

 I had soooo many questions!

Since all of the books I read gave different advice, I took it upon myself to experiment and keep diligent records and that experience has been critical in our success.  People have been asking us vegetable growing questions all along, but it wasn’t until this year, that I felt we had enough  mastery to share with the world.  Do we know it all? Heck no!  But we have made so much progress in the last few years that it would be a shame to keep it all to ourselves. 

We are not far enough along to forget what it was like getting started.  Whether you’re a newbie or an experienced green thumb, know that you are welcome here to grow along with us.  I look forward to continuing this journey with you all!

I first dabbled in engineering and architecture, and then ended up in education with the idea that I might create more change in my community as a teacher.  After investing ten years at a local high school, a change seemed in order, and I was drawn to the hands-on nature of farming along with the health and economic benefits of growing our own food.  The learning curve was steep, but I remained committed and just kept solving one problem at a time.

The road to farming wasn't a straight one.


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